Georgia is moving on from long-time head coach Mark Richt, the Bulldogs confirmed Sunday afternoon.
“Coach Richt and I met Sunday morning to discuss the status of our football program,” UGA Director of Athletics Greg McGarity said via a new release. “And we mutually agreed that he would step down as head coach and would have the opportunity to accept other duties and responsibilities at UGA following the bowl game.”
What does it mean for Tennessee? That’s always a tough question to answer until the new coach is hired, and sometime it doesn’t become apparent until a season or two in under the new regime. But one thing is sure in this process: Georgia has further to fall than to rise after making this move.
The Bulldogs might make a home-run hire that is able to bring many of the same positives that Richt did, and then also can take Georgia to the next level on a more consistent basis. That’s always a possibility when making a change. But the alternative is also very much in play. It happened to Tennessee after firing Phillip Fulmer following the 2008 season. Texas and Nebraska are other historically prominent programs that have seen it happen in the past couple decades as well.
To borrow a term from Butch Jones, winning is fragile. And replacing a coach like Richt, who has a shot at his 10th 10-win season in Athens this year if the Bulldogs win their bowl game, is no sure-fire bet. Richt leaves Athens with a 145-51 overall record. Replacing that is no guarantee.
In terms of Tennessee in particular, Richt departs with a 10-5 record against the Vols. Tennessee got over the hump with a dramatic come-from-behind win in 2015, but Georgia won the previous five in the series. Regardless of if you feel like the Vols were closing in on or had surpassed Georgia as a program this year, there’s no denying that Richt changed the rivalry. Tennessee had won nine of 10 previously before the Bulldogs brought him in back in 2001.
And while it’s too early to conclude what the ultimate effect on recruiting will be, Tennessee has to feel good about how this could potentially help the 2016 class. Butch Jones has made the greater Atlanta area a priority. The Vols and Bulldogs have been going head-to-head for several top 2016 recruits from the Peach State.
Five-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown, four-star athlete/receiver Mecole Hardman, four-star athlete Marquez Callaway and four-star safety Nigel Warrior are all Peach State prospects highly-coveted by the Vols that currently have Georgia at or near the top of their lists heading into the events of Sunday. Their phones will be ringing off the hook – this news doesn’t guarantee Tennessee will get any of them.
But as the Vols have to like their chances more with Richt and his previously-built relationships now out of the equation.
Only time will answer this question, but Vol fans can be cautiously optimistic that this could be good news for Tennessee in the long-term.
